Before becoming president, Abraham Lincoln's life was marked by humble beginnings and self-education. Born in 1809 in a log cabin in Kentucky, he moved to Indiana and later Illinois, where his family lived in poverty. Despite limited formal schooling, Lincoln was an avid reader and taught himself law, eventually becoming a successful lawyer.
He served in the Illinois legislature and a single term in Congress, where he opposed the Mexican-American War. Lincoln's debates with Stephen Douglas during the 1858 Senate race brought him national attention, particularly for his stance against the expansion of slavery, leading to his 1860 presidential election.
Abraham Lincoln's life was tragically cut short after he was assassinated by John Wilkes Booth on April 14, 1865, just five days after the Civil War effectively ended with General Lee's surrender. Lincoln's second term began with a focus on reunifying the nation and implementing his vision for Reconstruction.
He promoted leniency toward the South to foster healing but did not live to see the process unfold. His assassination at Ford's Theatre cut short his efforts to shape post-war America, leaving his legacy as a leader who preserved the Union and abolished slavery, but whose future plans went unrealized.
Before becoming president, Franklin D. Roosevelt was born into a wealthy New York family in 1882 and enjoyed a privileged upbringing. He attended prestigious schools, including Harvard University, and later studied law at Columbia. Roosevelt entered politics in 1910, serving as a New York state senator and then Assistant Secretary of the Navy under President Wilson during World War I.
In 1921, he was diagnosed with polio, which left him paralyzed from the waist down. Despite this, he remained active in politics, becoming governor of New York in 1929, where he implemented progressive reforms that prepared him for the presidency.
Franklin D. Roosevelt passed away shortly into his fourth term. After leading the United States through the Great Depression and most of World War II, his health declined significantly. Despite his deteriorating condition, Roosevelt continued to guide the nation, attending the Yalta Conference in 1945 to discuss post-war plans with Allied leaders.
However, on April 12, 1945, just months before the war's end, Roosevelt died of a cerebral hemorrhage at his retreat in Warm Springs, Georgia. His legacy endures as a transformative leader who shaped modern American government and global affairs.
Before becoming president, Barack Obama had a diverse career in law, community organizing, and politics. Born in Hawaii in 1961, he graduated from Columbia University and later earned a law degree from Harvard, where he became the first Black president of the Harvard Law Review.
Obama worked as a community organizer in Chicago and taught constitutional law at the University of Chicago. His political career began in the Illinois State Senate, where he served from 1997 to 2004. Elected to the U.S. Senate in 2004, his powerful speech at the Democratic National Convention that year propelled him into the national spotlight.
Since leaving the presidency, Barack Obama has remained active in public life, focusing on issues like leadership development, climate change, and social justice. Through the Obama Foundation, he supports emerging leaders and promotes civic engagement worldwide.
Obama has also written and published A Promised Land, a memoir reflecting on his presidency. He and his wife, Michelle, signed a production deal with Netflix, creating documentaries and films under their company, Higher Ground Productions, including the Oscar-winning American Factory. Obama continues to speak publicly on important political and social matters while largely staying out of day-to-day politics.
Before becoming president, George W. Bush worked in the oil industry and co-owned the Texas Rangers baseball team. He earned an MBA from Harvard Business School and served as governor of Texas from 1995 to 2000.
During his governorship, he focused on education reform, tort reform, and tax cuts. Earlier, he ran unsuccessfully for Congress in 1978 but remained active in Republican politics. Bush's political career was also shaped by his family legacy, as the son of former President George H. W. Bush, which helped him gain national recognition and paved the way for his eventual presidency in 2000.
After leaving the presidency, George W. Bush focused on humanitarian efforts, painting, and public service. He established the George W. Bush Presidential Center in Dallas, Texas, which includes a library, museum, and policy institute. Through the Bush Institute, he advocates for issues like education reform, veterans' welfare, and global health.
Bush has also dedicated time to painting, particularly portraits of veterans and world leaders, publishing a book of his art in Portraits of Courage. He has largely stayed out of partisan politics but occasionally speaks on issues like immigration and American unity. He also supports various charitable causes.
Before becoming president, Bill Clinton was the governor of Arkansas, serving two non-consecutive terms from 1979 to 1981 and 1983 to 1992. He earned a law degree from Yale and taught law before entering politics. Clinton became the attorney general of Arkansas in 1977.
As governor, he focused on education reform, economic development, and welfare reform. Clinton gained national attention as a "New Democrat," advocating centrist policies. His charisma and communication skills helped him rise in the Democratic Party, leading to his 1992 presidential campaign, which emphasized economic growth and change. He also briefly taught law before his political career.
After leaving the presidency, Bill Clinton focused on global humanitarian efforts and public speaking. He founded the Clinton Foundation, which works on issues such as global health, climate change, economic development, and education.
Through the Clinton Global Initiative, he brought together world leaders to tackle major global challenges. Clinton has also been active in disaster relief efforts, including post-tsunami recovery in Asia and rebuilding efforts after Hurricane Katrina. He has written several books, given numerous speeches, and remains involved in Democratic Party politics, supporting various candidates, including his wife, Hillary Clinton, in her presidential campaigns.
